[ad_1]
CITY OF MALOLOS – Farmers and fishermen are not exempt from an ordinance that requires all Bulacan residents and workers to wear masks and face shields in public, but only when working in groups.
Rice fields and rivers are defined as public places in Provincial Ordinance No. 89-2020, a health regulation that was approved on Thursday by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board of Bulacan) to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID- 19).
Farmers and fishermen need both a mask and a shield because some cannot observe physical distancing when in the fields or at sea, said attorney Emily Isidro-Viceo, a board member who serves as vice chair of the health committee. .
“However, if they are alone, they don’t need to use them,” he said. The ordinance stipulates that farmers, fishermen, and other workers with similar occupations may remove their masks in the workplace, provided they do not violate other public health protocols.
The ordinance affects 30,000 farmers who tend about 90,000 hectares of farms in Bulacan and 2,000 fishermen who operate in provincial waters that span 20 hectares.
Pol Fajardo, president of the Provincial Council of Agriculture and Fisheries of Bulacán, said that its members will heed the new law, once it is signed by Governor Daniel Fernando. The original version of the measure would have caused field workers to wear masks and shields even when working alone, he said.
The ordinance also exempts motorcyclists from wearing face protection while riding, as long as their helmets are closed. They need to wear face masks while driving.
Dr. Jocelyn Gomez, a public health official for Bulacan, said the masks provide 80 percent protection against the virus. Adding the shield gives the person full protection, he said, unless these devices are improvised or made of materials that don’t filter out infected particles.
Violators would receive a citation fine and could be fined P1,000 for their first offense, P3,000 for a second offense, and P5,000 for a third offense.
Government officials and employees who violate the ordinance will also face administrative charges.
As of Saturday, Bulacan has 2,670 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 1,354 recoveries, 3,325 suspected cases, and 69 deaths. CARMELA REYES-ESTROPE
For more news on the new coronavirus, click here.
What you need to know about the coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.
The Inquirer Foundation supports our leaders in healthcare and still accepts cash donations to be deposited into the Banco de Oro (BDO) checking account # 007960018860 or donate through PayMaya using this link .
Read next
EDITOR’S SELECTION
MOST READ
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download from 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For comments, complaints or inquiries, please contact us.
[ad_2]
